


Almond Milk

by cryogirl



Series: Soft, sweet, stupid meet-cutes [3]
Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Meet-Cute, Short & Sweet, because apparently that’s all I write
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:20:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24277285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cryogirl/pseuds/cryogirl
Summary: Written for the prompt: “we’re 22-year-olds fighting over the last bottle of milk in the store and I really need that milk for my cereal”.That’s pretty much it.
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Series: Soft, sweet, stupid meet-cutes [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1758274
Comments: 8
Kudos: 51





	Almond Milk

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sohox](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sohox/gifts).



> For soho-x, because I keep stealing prompts from her tumblr. ;)
> 
> Enjoy?

Link rushed through the sliding doors into the store, his too wide pyjamas fluttering around his small body. It was ten a.m. on a Saturday, and Link had forgotten to buy milk. He’d woken up hungry and of course he could’ve eaten anything from his well-stocked fridge, but he needed the milk. Call it a spleen, but he couldn’t eat anything but cereal in the morning, and to eat cereal he needed milk.

The store wasn’t far from his place and Link hadn’t bothered to put on any proper clothes. He quickly made his way to the milk section and fixed his eyes on the shelf with the dairy alternatives. He cursed inwardly. There was only one bottle of plant-based milk left. It was always the same with this stupid tiny store; there was never enough almond milk, especially on weekends. 

Link had his gaze steadily on the milk and his hand went up to grab it from the rack when he suddenly crashed into something warm and soft.

“Oof” the thing made and Link realised that he’d run into another man.

He looked up and saw the face of a young man about his age with light hair and a small beard. He’d lifted his left arm and was reaching for the same bottle of almond milk Link had tried to grab.

They stared at each other for a few heartbeats, looked over at the bottle and back again. The next second they both tried to snatch the milk first, pushing the other one away from the shelf. The stranger was much taller than Link and easily won their silent milk battle. He held it up like a trophy and grinned.

  
“Oh, come on!” Link tried to reason with the stranger, maybe he was nice and would show some sympathy. “I’m a vegan, I need that milk.”

“Ha, well I’m lactose-intolerant, that beats you ‘cause I have no choice. I need it more.” The man smiled triumphantly.

“No you don’t! You could take anything in here, why don’t you just drink juice? I can only eat cereal for breakfast, so _I_ need it more.”

“I won’t drink juice just because some hipster thinks he needs to save the stupid cows.”

“I’m a _Buddhist_ , you jerk!” The thought of being mistaken for one of those pretentious geeks made Link’s blood boil. 

The stranger sneered. “You’re a Buddhist? Where’s your positive energy then, huh? ‘Cause all I get from you are asshole vibes!”

 _Breathe_ , Link thought. _Keep the anger inside, don’t let it escape_. Link had only recently found his way to Buddhism, but he’d found that the meditation and plant-based diet helped him tremendously with his sleep and concentration. He wouldn’t let this inconsiderate idiot ruin his positive mindset.

“Look, let’s not fight over this. Why don’t you just give me the milk, I really need it. Please.”

“Okay, I’ll give you the freaking milk!” The jerk lifted the milk over Link’s head so that he couldn’t reach it, twisted the cap off and poured the entire content onto the floor next to their feet. He cocked his brows and smirked. Link was speechless; this was the most obnoxious thing he’d ever witnessed somebody do.

“You… you’re a horrible person!” To Link’s dismay he started to well up and before he had the chance to hold the tears back they already spilled out over his face. He’d _really_ wanted that milk. Within a split second the jerk’s expression softened and he lowered his hands, still gripping the bottle.

“Hey, don’t cry now. Please don’t cry,” he said and awkwardly tried to pat Link’s shoulder in comfort. His aggressive demeanour was completely gone, and he looked almost helpless as he watched Link sob.

“Why- why are you so mean?” Link sniffed and wiped his face with his pyjama sleeve.

“I don’t know, man. I just get angry a lot, and very quickly. I can’t control it. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.” The man kept his warm hand on Link’s back and started rubbing soothing circles into the thin cotton. “Are you okay?” he asked, and the gentleness of his voice made Link reconsider whether he was really that much of a jerk. He clearly had some anger issues, but that was likely not his own fault. It never was, in Link’s experience.

“I’m fine,” Link replied and smiled at the not-jerk, even though his eyes were still red and puffy. He was about to say that there was no need for the back rub the stranger was apparently trying to give him, when he heard a loud yell from the other end of the dairy aisle.

“Hey! You two! What are you doing with that milk?”

They both turned their heads and saw an employee striding towards them with a more than unhappy look on her face. 

“Oh shit,” the young man mumbled and dropped the empty carton on the floor. He grabbed Link’s hand and pulled him with him. “Come on, run!”

Link followed him even though he stumbled more than he ran because the tall stranger was taking huge steps and Link struggled to match them. He led them out of the store and through the streets until the voices of the employees and security guards faded away.

They stopped and leaned against a wall, breathing heavily.

“That was crazy!” Link giggled and pressed a hand to his chest. He’d never done anything so imprudent before and his heart was beating incredibly fast.

The nice-jerk was laughing too and shaking his head. He offered Link his hand and said: “Hi. My name’s Rhett, by the way.”

“Link.” For some strange reason touching Rhett’s slightly calloused hand made Link’s heart jump even more.

“Um, I think I owe you a breakfast, right?” Rhett scratched the back of his neck. “I’m really sorry about earlier, and I don’t want you to starve because of me.”

Link was about to nod enthusiastically when he remembered his getup. “I’d love to, but I don’t think you want to be seen with a guy in PJs in any coffee shop.”

Rhett looked Link up and down and shook his head. “Nonsense. You look cute in them.”

Link blushed. Suddenly, he didn’t mind that he’d miss his cereal that morning so much anymore.


End file.
